Fredericksburg Parent

www.FredericksburgParent.NET 19 Join us for the live conversation on Stay tuned to the Fredericksburg Parent Facebook, Instagram and YouTube channels during the month of May for a video interview with more informa on about Fredericks- burg Chris an School. Facebook: @fredericksburgparent • Twitter: @FredParent • Instagram: @fredparentmagazine a sk t h e e x p e rt Sponsored Material Q. What do new student evaluations look like at FCS? HEATHER LEE: To a parent or student, a new student evalua on can sound in mida ng. The purpose of our evalua on is not to determine, "Can your child get in?" What we are doing in that evalua on is building a bridge—we want to know what the needs are —making sure the school can meet the needs of the student and in some cases suggest strategies or summer ac vi es that might help. We want to make sugges ons for how to make coming to FCS the smoothest transi on possible. The evalua on is also the way we begin our rela on- ship with the family, and that is a hallmark of the FCS experience. The atmosphere in our classrooms is meant to be very rela onal. We want to know each child as an individual. We want them to know that they are loved and a child of God. It's not this high-stakes ques on of, "Am I behind?" Our number one strength is having strong rela- onships with our parents and students, and this begins in the evalua on. Q. The pandemic school closures that have been ongoing for the past year have left many parents worried about whether their children will be behind in academic subjects. I know FCS is seeing increased interest from new families at this time. How do you approach the question when parents ask, "Is my child behind?" HEATHER LEE: We do have a lot of new students coming to us with needs, but those needs are to be expected. I would want to lower a parent's stress level by saying that even among the students who are already here, we have a wide va- riety of needs. We are looking for those needs from day one, an cipa ng them. Some of our teaching strategies, such as teaching reading and math in small groups, are geared toward being able to reach students at their current level. We work in partnership with families to help students catch up where that may be needed, as both home and school have an important role to play. There are so many ways our teachers work to make sure new students can come in, feel welcome and have a smooth on-ramp to our curriculum. Take cursive, for instance. While we teach cursive, many other schools today do not. So when a student comes in not knowing cursive, teachers are very quick to say, "You don't need to worry about this right now." We will step it up gradually, in a way that makes the student feel comfortable. Q. The Resource Center allows FCS to work with children indi- vidually and in small groups in specifi c educational areas. How do you identify students who may need this help? HEATHER LEE: We work in close connec on with teachers to iden fy student needs. In the Lower School, every quarter, teachers are asked for input on how students are do- ing, who might need extra help and in what areas. Our resource teacher coordinates all of that informa on, gives teachers ideas to try for some students, and if necessary, begins working with those who need extra help. She begins pulling those students and working with them individually or in small groups. We are in the ac ve planning stages to start a model like this in our Upper School. We think this approach will work well for our older students who have specifi c needs for extra academic help. Q. How do you build strong relationships with families? HEATHER LEE: New families each have an interview with an administrator that is really a ge ng-to-know-you process. The focus is on your child, your family, and what you are looking for. Our mission is really clear. We are not just academically driven. We are a strong Chris an school—that's very important to us; it is part of everything we do. We want to have families come who want the same thing. When the home and school are focused on that same mission, it results in a strong partnership that benefi ts the students. Q. What is the learning environment like at FCS? The rela onships and sense of community are really defi ni ve for us. It's in the day-to-day in- terac ons. Teachers are inten onally trying to have comfortable classrooms where students can share about the real stuff that is going on in their lives. At the same me, we know stu- dents thrive on structure, rou ne, and well-planned days. We excel at clear expecta ons for our students, and in a loving and safe environment, students rise to those high expecta ons. Our goal at FCS is to help students fi nd their God-given talents and skills to impact the world in mighty and meaningful ways. We take a bigger-picture perspec ve on life, and bring together the spiritual with the social and academic. We use that perspec ve to walk students through challenges, whether it be struggling in a class or having a setback in their home life. It is about the whole child. We believe that sets our students up for a successful life that has the poten al to impact the world for God. To learn more, visit fredericksburgchris an.com.

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